The Devil Within
by Lechaton171
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki stole Victor Nikiforov away from the world of skating when Victor retired to become Yuri's coach. This of course upset many people, especially Victor's fans. However, one fan takes things too far, and will make sure they do whatever it takes to make both Yuuri and Victor's life together a living hell. Rated T VictorXYuuri pairing.
1. Prologue

**A/N: ANOTHER STORY ALREADY WHAT. I've been back to writing fanfic for what, 3 days? I guess YOI has inspired me. I've always been a fan of darker, angsty/suspenseful stories, but wasn't quite sure how to fit that in with YOI. I'm not quite sure how long this story will be, as I'm still planning it out, but I hope you enjoy. This first chapter is just an introduction to set the stage. POVs will switch between Victor and Yuuri, and the crazed fan, whose parts will be italicized. Let me know if it comes off as confusing in any way!**

 **Thank you so much! -Kate**

 **Prologue**

Victor had known for a while that his skating career was coming to an end.

It wasn't that he hated it or did not enjoy it anymore. Skating had been his life for as long as he could remember. But being a competitive skater wasn't easy. There was a lot of physical strain on the body. His stamina was nowhere near what it used to be. And after all, he had his time to shine. He had won many great competitions and met some of the best friends that he could ever ask for.

And of course, he had met Yuuri Katsuki.

When drunken Yuuri hung around his neck and begged Victor to be his coach, Victor found something within himself that he had been looking for. He hadn't been sure of what his life would be once he officially retired from skating. He was afraid that he would fade, be forgotten as people moved on and new skaters came into fame. Becoming Yuuri Katsuki's coach was something new, something different, that would still let him live in the world of ice skating. He could still be needed and still be of worth to someone.

And there had been something about Yuuri Katsuki that made him want to become his coach even more.

Of course, many were angry with his decision to retire. He had gained quite a following of fans and supporters after all, not to mention friends and rivals who loved competing with him. But it didn't bother Victor one bit. He was at peace with his choice, and he knew eventually that everyone else would be too.

Coaching Yuuri was an experience Victor never expected. He never expected to see Yuuri Katsuki blossom the way that he did. He also never expected to fall madly in love with Yuuri, either. But both of these things happened, and honestly, he was happier than he had ever been in his life.

…

VICTOR NIKIFOROV ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

 _The headlines were everywhere. After all this time, after supporting him for so long, he just up and retired without so much of a warning. Hadn't he announced he was already working on a new routine for next season? How could he do this to me, someone who had been his fan since he first debuted? My whole life had revolved around Victor. I knew everything about him, I had every poster and watched every performance._

VICTOR NIKIFOROV TO COACH YUURI KATSUKI

 _Yuuri Katsuki? That nobody from Japan? That kid was a failure and even Katsuki himself knew it. Why would Victor ever possibly decide to coach that worthless fool?_

 _I had loved and supported Victor more than anyone out there. All of this time and effort spent into being the best fan and it didn't even matter. Didn't Victor care about his fans? Didn't he care about me?_

VICTOR NIKIFOROV AND YUURI KATSUKI GO PUBLIC WITH RELATIONSHIP

 _My blood boiled. No one loved Victor more than me. Yuuri Katsuki was nothing._


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm excited to start getting into this story and see where I take it. I hope you enjoy the ride as well :D**

The messages spammed Victor's social media accounts.

 _Please Victor, think about your decision. Your fans are depending on you._

 _You are not a coach, you are a skater, why would you leave your fans hanging this way?_

 _Yuuri Katsuki is irrelevant, you are the only star that I need._

"What are you looking at?" Yuuri asked as he sat down with Victor at the table to eat breakfast.

"Ah- nothing!" Victor said, putting his phone down. He would have a lot of blocking to do later on. He had already had to block a few users. One of them seemed quite persistent- at least Victor assumed it was one person or group of people, for they always had some variation of the username VICTORSNUMB3R1FAN. Not even an original name. Victor was worried that Yuuri would see the messages. Although Yuuri had come to peace with Victor's decision to quit skating competitively, Victor knew that it was quite easy for Yuuri to feel guilty or disheartened.

"You look troubled," Yuuri said, studying Victor's face. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Of course, my love," Victor smiled and leaned in to kiss him good morning. "Yurio and Yakov are already at the rink, wondering where we are."

Yuuri chuckled. "You could have woken me up sooner."

"But you're so cute when you sleep," Victor replied, making Yuuri blush. "Besides, they are used to me showing up whenever, so it's okay."

Yuuri and Victor had just recently loved into their own apartment together. Victor's old one was too small for the both of them, so they found a larger apartment just minutes away from the ice rink, so they were still close enough for practice. The move had been a big step for them, but so far everything had been perfect. Their apartment was really beginning to feel like home, more so than Victor's old apartment ever had. It was a place that they shared together, and Victor treasured it.

No one had really been surprised when they went public with their relationship. All of their friends had already known of course, even if they never came out and said it. Hell, the whole world was aware; it's not like they had exactly hidden their feelings for each other, either.

Yuri's skating was improving every day. It wasn't just his skating, but his confidence. It had always been his confidence and nerves that had gotten in the way of his performances. Skill had never been the issue. But Yuuri had really blossomed since last season, even if he lost the gold to Yuri at the Grand Prix Finals. If anything, coming so close to the gold had motivated Yuuri even more. He had grown into a new person. He still had his moments, of course, but even in just the few months that Victor had gotten to know him, he could already see a huge change.

..

Yuuri finished his practice for the day, his face dripping with sweat as he looked out at Victor, who had been watching him with a small smile on his face. Yuuri had been working harder than he ever had before. He wasn't the only one, either. Sharing the rink with Yurio meant that they were constantly watching one another, and striving to become better than the other. However, Yuuri enjoyed the competition, and he knew Yurio did as well.

Yuuri was worried that eventually Victor would regret his decision to retire, but so far that hadn't been the case. Victor was really growing into his role as coach. And it also meant that Yuuri spent every day at Victor's side, and that was something that he was okay with. He wanted nothing more than to be Victor's pride. He wanted to show the world what it meant to have Victor Nikiforov as a coach.

"That was amazing, Yuuri!" Victor told him happily as he exited the skating rink, getting swallowed by Victor's hug. "I know I say this a lot but you are doing so well! I can't believe how much you've grown."

"I had a good coach," Yuuri said, grinning shyly. Victor smiled at him and softly kissed his lips.

They were in the locker room when Yuuri went through his phone to check his messages. He had one from Yuko back home, asking how things were going. He had some notification from Instagram from a post Victor had tagged him in. He also had a message from someone he didn't know.

 _HOW COULD YOU HAVE TAKEN VICTOR AWAY FROM US. YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING AND IT'S A WASTE OF HIS TIME._

Ouch.

"Did you see my post?" Victor asked, coming up behind Yuuri and putting his arms around him. Yuuri jumped and nearly dropped his phone.

"Y-yeah, I was just looking at it," Yuuri lied. Victor could read his tone, however, and snatched the phone out of Yuuri's hands. He sighed when he saw the message.

"Don't worry about this, Yuuri," he said, handing the phone back. "They're mad at me, not you. Just block them."

"Okay," Yuuri said quietly, his old fears swimming to the surface of his mind.

"Yuuri," Victor said firmly, putting his finger under Yuuri's chin so he would look Victor in the eye. "I'm serious. Don't let the haters get to you."

Yuuri took a deep breath. Victor was right. "Okay, okay. I'm fine, I promise."

…

 _Yuuri Katsuki was not strong. That was why he had never been able to win in his previous competitions. He only got better last season because he had Victor to himself. It should be Victor out there, not Yuuri Katsuki._

 _Victor was ignoring all of my messages. Furthermore, he kept blocking me, forcing me to create new accounts. I wasn't getting anywhere. Victor had lost himself thanks to Yuuri Katsuki._

 _I had to rethink what I was doing. I wasn't going to get through to Victor this way. I would have to try a different strategy._

 _Yuuri Katsuki was not very strong, after all. It should be easy enough to convince him that he had destroyed Victor's life._

…

Yuuri had been quiet all night, and finally had gone to bed early. Although he had said he was fine, Victor knew the message from the fan had bothered him. Yuuri had been so sensitive as far as Victor's retirement was concerned. Victor had told him time and time again that it was his choice and what he had wanted. Every time it seemed that Victor had finally convinced him, someone said or did something that reignited the doubt in Yuuri's mind.

Victor was about to give up and go to bed himself when he got distracted by a notification on his phone. He had another message from VICTORSNUMB3R1FAN24. Had they really gone through 24 accounts at this point?

 _Victor you know you don't really want to quit. Skating means too much to you. Yuuri is just a fling, skating is what really matters to you._

Victor was frustrated. Normally, he would ignore the message, delete it and block the account. But this was getting ridiculous. He had to say something, especially if they were going to start going after Yuuri.

 _Look, I don't know who you are, but this needs to stop. I appreciate that you have been my fan, but I made my decision and I am not changing my mind. And Yuuri is anything but a fling to me, so I would appreciate it if you left him out of this. If you are truly my fan, I hope that you will want me to be happy, and I am._

He sent the message, and then proceeded to block the person, hoping that would shut them up.

….

 _VICTOR SENT ME A MESSAGE. THE REAL VICTOR._

 _Eagerly I read his reply, but my smile was fleeting. My stomach churned. Happy? Victor was not happy. Victor was happy when he won gold medals and listened to the cheers of his fans. I know this, because I had always been there, every competition, cheering him on._

 _Victor was confused. Yuuri Katsuki had stolen him from us, from me, and had made him believe that he was happier for it. Why couldn't Victor see? I loved him, after all. I loved him more than anyone. I loved him more than Yuuri Katsuki could fathom._

 _I hated him for taking Victor away from me._


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello everyone! I have to say that I am very pleased at the positive responses I've had so far from reviews. I was very nervous going into this story, because I know it's quite different and it's a little difficult for me to write. Please keep giving me feedback so I know if it's going okay ^_^ Also, I apologize if I miss any spelling mistakes! I read the chapters through before posting but sometimes I miss stuff .**

 **I hope you enjoy the next chapter! -Kate**

Yuuri woke up, Victor's arm draped over him. Yuuri smiled, taking a moment to enjoy the fact that Victor was holding him in his sleep. Yuuri reached out for his phone to see what time it was. 5:42 AM. It was still pretty early, meaning he could stay there in bed with Victor for a little longer.

He had a new message on his Instagram account. He knew it was probably unimportant. Or it was someone getting angry with him again over Victor. Unable to help himself, he opened the App and pulled up the message.

 _I will make you wish you had retired._

That was all the message said. Yuuri's stomach squirmed a bit. How were they planning on doing that? He almost didn't want to know. He tried to remember what Victor had told him and just ignore it. But it left him feeling uneasy. He hadn't done anything wrong. Right? Victor had made his own decisions.

Yuuri no longer felt like he could lay there in bed, and he knew he wouldn't fall asleep. So he decided to get up and go for a run to clear his head.

…

Yuuri wasn't in bed when Victor woke up. Faintly, Victor could hear the shower running. He yawned and grabbed for his phone. Thankfully he didn't find any more annoying messages. Still half asleep, get got out of bed and headed towards the kitchen, hoping to start some coffee. But the coffee was already made, and breakfast was waiting for him on the stove as well. It was just barely 8 AM, so Yuuri must have been up early.

"Good morning," Yuuri said as he came out into the kitchen, his hair wet from the shower. "I made you some breakfast."

"My Yuuri's so sweet," Victor said, putting his arms around him. "Though breakfast in bed would have been even better."

"I'll remember that for next time." Victor smiled and kissed him good morning. After a moment Yuuri pushed him away. "Okay, okay, Victor. We really have to get moving."

"Did you sleep okay?" Victor asked, not letting Yuuri out of his embrace. "Is there a reason you were up so early?"

"No, I slept fine," Yuuri said, but didn't look at him. "I just couldn't get back to sleep this morning, so I thought I'd be productive."

Victor sensed something was off but wasn't sure what, so he let it go for now. He suspected Yuuri was still upset over the message from yesterday but was trying to work through it.

"I'm going to head to practice early, okay?" Yuuri said, escaping Victor's clutches at long last. "I'll see you when you get there."

"Alright," Victor pouted, but let him go. "Thank you for breakfast!"

Yuuri looked back and smiled at him. "Of course."

An hour later Victor showed up at the ice rink. Yuuri was already on the ice with Yurio. Yakov was standing silently, watching out over them.

"Good morning, Vitya. Nice of you to finally show up," Yakov said when Victor stood next to him. "Katsuki seems a little off this morning, but I think Yuri is getting riled up enough."

"Good," Victor answered, watching them. There was no rivalry like the one between those two, ever since Victor had first gone to Japan to be Yuuri's coach. "Yuuri!" Victor called cheerfully, waving. Both boys looked over at him. Yuuri smiled and waved back, and Yurio just scowled at him.

Yuuri's performance was a little off today, especially compared to their past few practices. Victor wondered if it would be best for them to have a day off and take some time to enjoy themselves. They still had plenty of time to get practices in, and Yuuri was doing quite well already. Victor didn't want Yuuri to get too burnt out before the competitions even started. Yuuri, of course, would disagree, but Victor knew that he could talk him into it.

…

Yuuri's performance was off and he knew it. Yurio was the first to mention it to him, and tried to egg him on by reminding him who had won the gold at the last Grand Prix. Yuuri's doubts and unease were getting the best of him, and he had to try harder to focus. He didn't want to worry Victor, who already had seemed worried this morning. Yuuri had been working on getting better with his confidence and Victor had been so happy about it. He couldn't let a couple of messages sent by some crazy fan set him off now. He had too much to work towards.

"Yuuri, take a break," Victor called out to him, distracting him from his thoughts. He must have been running on autopilot for most of practice today, because Yuuri wasn't even sure how long he'd been out on the ice today.

"Will you take a walk with me?" Victor asked as Yuuri exited the rink. Not even a comment on his practice today?

"Sure," Yuuri said, deciding a walk might be a good idea. Victor looked pleased. Yuuri went to his locker to change while Victor stayed behind and said goodbye to Yakov. Yuuri was surprised when he opened his locker and something fell out.

It was a letter. Yuuri stared at it on the floor for a moment and then picked it up, unsure of why there would suddenly be a letter in his locker. Had Victor done this? Yuuri opened it and saw that it was definitely not Victor's handwriting.

 _Victor is a god and you are nothing, Yuuri Katsuki. Why are you keeping up the charade? You know that it's better that Victor be the one performing, not you. He's the one that everyone wants. He's the one that everyone cares about. You are nothing next to him. And you mean nothing to him. You are just a phase, and before you know it he will get bored of you and leave. Why do you even bother trying, Yuuri Katsuki?_

"Hey!"

Yuuri started as Victor pulled him around. "What are you looking at? I was calling your name for a minute-"

Yuuri tried to shove the letter away but Victor was too quick and snatched it from his hand.

"What the hell?" Victor looked disgusted. "Yuuri where did you find this?"

"I-it was in my locker," Yuuri mumbled. He wanted to sink through the floor and disappear.

"Hey- Yuuri!" Victor grabbed Yuuri and pulled him close to him, so their faces were inches apart. "Just breathe. You're panicking."

"I-I'm fine," Yuuri protested, realizing he hadn't taken a breath since he opened the letter. Victor pulled him into an embrace, in which Yuuri just stood there.

"Just breathe, love. It's okay. Breathe with me."

Yuuri did as he was told. After a few minutes, he relaxed and returned Victors embrace. How had someone known where his locker was? When did they come in? It had only been Yuuri, Yurio and Yakov at the rink until Victor arrived.

…

Victor was furious. It was one thing to send silly messages over social media accounts. But someone had actually had enough nerve to come, in person, to a place that they had considered safe, and leave an awful note to the man he loved.

Victor alerted Yakov of what had happened as soon as Yuuri had calmed down. Yakov was shocked, swearing he hadn't seen anyone come in aside from the four of them that day. It had to have happened somewhere in between the time Yuuri arrived and when they left, but no one seemed to have seen anything out of the ordinary.

"I will be more vigilant," Yakov told Victor before he and Yuuri left. "And you do the same. You never know how far people are willing to go these days. If this persists or this person tries anything else, you will have to contact the authorities, Victor."

Victor nodded. "I'm hoping it won't come to that. But I don't like that they know not only where we are practicing, but what locker was his."

"I agree," Yakov said. "Let me know if anything else happens."

Yuuri was quiet as they made their way home. Once back at the apartment, Victor hurried to make him some of his favorite tea, hoping it would help calm him. He sat curled up on the couch. Victor brought him a steaming mug and he took it, looking grateful. Yuuri scooted over, and Victor took that as an invitation to slide onto the couch with him.

"Thank you," Yuuri said, sipping the tea. "I'm sorry that I freaked out."

"Don't be sorry," Victor said as he stroked Yuri's hair. "I think anyone in your situation would be a little freaked out."

Yuuri sighed and snuggled into Victor, putting his head on his chest. "I know that I should just ignore it, and I'm trying. But to hear those words…and to know that someone knew where we were and where my locker was-"

"I know," Victor sighed, feeling angry again at however had done this. "They're trying to mess with us. They want you to feel this way. But above all else, Yuuri, please trust me when I say that I love you, more than I could ever love anything or anyone. You are what matters to me. You are my reason for being here today, and for being as happy as I have been. Don't let anyone make you believe otherwise."

Yuuri nodded. "I know. I just wish this wasn't happening."

"Me too," Victor replied, kissing the top of his head.

And he was going to make sure that it stopped.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I'll be a little busy tonight but I'm still hoping to get a new chapter out tomorrow!**

 **PS: I realized after writing this I never included Makkachin, so let's pretend he's still in Japan with Yuri's family XD**

 **-Kate**

Yuuri tossed and turned in his sleep the entire night. Victor tried his best to comfort him, but it didn't seem to help. By the time morning came around both men were exhausted from their lack of sleep. Yuuri hadn't said much to Victor, but Victor knew that Yuuri was still troubled by the letter in his locker. He had to do something to take Yuuri's mind off of things. This whole situation was causing Yuuri a lot of stress, and Victor hated to see him so torn up over it.

"Hey, love," Victor said softly as they lay there in bed. Yuuri had his back to him so Victor wasn't even sure if Yuuri was awake.

"Yeah?" Yuuri's voice was small and tired.

"We're taking the day off today. We're going to spend the day in town together. How does that sound?"

Yuuri turned around to face him. He offered Victor a little, grateful smile. "I think I'd like that."

"Good," Victor said, leaning in to kiss him. "Let's lay here a little while longer, then."

Yuuri smiled and lay his head on Victor's chest. "I'd like that, too."

…

Yuuri was extremely grateful to be able to spend the day alone with Victor. They turned off their phones, and instead spent the day focused on each other. They went for a late breakfast at one of Victor's favorite local restaurants, and then afterwards walked around town, taking pictures of one another and selfies together. Yuuri found St. Petersburg to be breathtakingly beautiful. As he gazed out at the Neva River, just for a moment, his troubles seemed so small.

"Thank you for taking me out," he told Victor as they stood side by side on the bridge. "You're always taking care of me, but I feel like I'm never taking care of you."

Victor chucked and put his arms around him. "You take care of me in more ways than you know, my love. A year ago I would have been standing at this bridge alone, after all."

Yuuri looked at him. "Didn't you have other lovers?"

Victor laughed. "Yes, I did. But I never actually loved any of them. I cared for them and enjoyed their company, sure. But I never actually felt the way that I feel about you. That's why my relationships never lasted. I'd never felt like I was ever really able to get close to anyone. But you…you were different."

"Why?" Yuuri asked, generally curious.

Victor pondered it for a moment. "It's hard to explain. There was just something about you. That night at the after party when you asked me to be your coach, and we danced and had fun, I just knew that there was something about you. Maybe it's your determination, or your sincerity. I saw who you really were under that quiet cloak you always hid yourself under, and I was determined to see you break out of your shell. I knew you were great, Yuuri Katsuki."

Yuuri felt his throat burn. _Don't cry now_ , he told himself. But Victor's words meant so much to him.

"What about you, Yuuri?" Victor grinned at me. "When did you realize you loved me?"

"Well, I always admired you," Yuuri told him. "You were the reason I really got into skating in the first place. But as far as the exact moment?" Yuuri thought back to when Victor first came to Hasetsu and decided to become Yuuri's coach. "I think it was when I first competed against Yurio in Hasetsu. I had of course wanted you to become my coach. But I had realized, when I was faced with the possibility that you might go back to Russia, that it wasn't just that I wanted you as my coach. I wanted you around. I wanted you there with me. It just…felt right, I guess." Yuuri shrugged. "I'm sorry, I'm not that good at explaining it-"

His words were cut off when Victor leaned in and kissed him. It wasn't s regular, quick kiss, but one that was deep, passionate, and made Yuuri feel like time and space around him were irrelevant. Nothing mattered except Victor. Yuuri put his hand behind Victors head and kissed him back. He couldn't even breathe, but it didn't matter. It was just him and Victor in that moment.

Eventually they broke apart. Victor grinned at him, putting his forehead against Yuuri's. Yuuri felt so safe there in his arms, like nothing could ever hurt them or touch them.

They walked home quietly, hand in hand. The day had been beautiful, and Yuuri was happy to have had the time with Victor. However, his familiar uneasiness was creeping back in as he realized they had to go back and face reality.

"Victor," he said as they walked along the road. "Do you think whoever sent the letter is going to keep bothering us?"

Victor didn't answer right away. "I surely hope not. I'm assuming that they will get bored of it and give up."

Yuuri didn't say anything. He could only hope that Victor was right, but he wasn't convinced.

…..

 _They were walking hand in hand, without a worry in the world._

 _Why didn't they understand? Why didn't they take me seriously? It was like they were laughing in my face, and flaunting themselves for the world to see. It was obvious that they underestimated me._

 _Yuuri Katsuki looked so cozy, gazing up at Victor with big eyes. What did Victor see in him? Why didn't he understand? The sight of them together made me sick. I angrily punched the wall next to me, causing pain to flare in my knuckles. But I didn't care._

 _I would bring Victor back. I wasn't giving up. I would make Yuuri Katsuki realize what he had done. They would take me seriously yet._

 _…._

Yuuri seemed to sleep better that night, meaning Victor got to sleep better as well. They awoke late the next morning, a cold rain falling outside, the sky dark and gloomy. They headed to the ice rink together. After what had happened, Victor felt like he couldn't let Yuuri be alone. He wasn't really expecting anyone to keep bothering him, but he also didn't want to take any chances.

Yuuri hesitated when he went to open his locker. Victor put his hand on his shoulder, comforting him. Yuuri grinned gratefully at him and opened it. No letters, no surprises. Victor could see the relief Yuuri felt.

"See, I told you. Everything will be fine," Victor told him.

Yuuri was better in practice today. He seemed very determined, his face full of concentration.

"Have you had any more problems?" Yakov asked as he and Victor stood in the sidelines.

"No, thankfully," Victor replied. "And I think the day out helped a bit. Yuuri seems to be skating a bit better today."

Yakov nodded. "I still haven't been able to figure out who it could have been. No one seems to have seen anything. Whoever snuck in here was very discrete and didn't want to be caught."

"Well hopefully it won't matter," Victor sighed. "I'm hoping they just leave us alone."

The rest of practice went smoothly. Yuuri seemed to be in better spirits, and his skating showed it. Pleased with the day's results, Victor and Yuuri made their way home. Victor was just starting to believe things were going to be fine when life slapped them in the face again.

Victor noticed something was wrong right away, and held an arm out to stop Yuuri. "What?" Yuuri asked, but Victor hushed him. The door to the apartment had been forced open, the doorknob broken. Yuuri noticed this as well.

"Victor-" he gasped. "Wait! Don't-"

Victor pushed the door open. "What if they are still in here?" Yuuri hissed, but Victor ignored him. He was angry. He hoped the person was still in there. The apartment was trashed, things were thrown, glass was broken. Victor stopped in the living room, taken aback by the words spray painted on the walls:

 _WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME NOW?_

"Victor please!" Yuuri pulled on his arm. "We need to leave! We can call the police. Please!"

His words woke Victor up. "I'm sorry, you're right. Let's get out of here."

The left the apartment and called the police. So much for hoping everything would go away


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy 2017! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I really wanted to get a new one in today, and now I don't want to stop writing, haha!**

 **...**

Yuuri sat alone with Yurio in the drawing room of Lilia's house. Yakov had insisted that Yuuri and Victor come stay here for the night. Victor and Yakov were talking in another room, leaving Yuuri and Yurio alone. Neither of them had said a word to one another. Yuuri was trying his best to remain calm while being a panicking mess on the inside. He had no idea where they were supposed to go from here or what they were supposed to do. Nothing felt safe. The ice rink wasn't safe, their home wasn't safe. He wondered if they should even be here at Lilia's; weren't they just going to put others at risk? Perhaps he was the problem. This person didn't want him anywhere near Victor. Maybe he should just leave, and then maybe it would stop.

"Here." Yuuri jumped as Yurio sat a hot mug down in front of him. Yuuri hadn't even noticed him get up and leave the room at all. "You look like shit, so I thought maybe this would help."

"Oh-thank you," Yuuri said, gripping the cup. The warmth was comforting.

"Look just-" Yurio seemed to struggle with his words. "Just know if the damn bastard comes anywhere near you I'll kick his ass. Or hers. I don't care."

Yuuri stared at him, and then laughed. Yurio's method of comforting others was unconventional, but effective.

"Don't laugh at me, I'm serious!" Yurio said with a scowl. "You're the one sitting here like the world is over. But it's not. So just stop looking so damn lost."

Yuuri smiled at him. "Thank you, Yurio." And he meant it.

…

"I think that you should stay here," Yakov told Victor as Victor paced back and forth. "Lilia has no problem with it, and we have enough room here. And as soon as this is over than you can go back home."

"It's not that simple," Victor replied. "It's fine for tonight but who knows how long it will take until this person stops, or gets caught? It could be weeks, or months. They might never get caught. What then? We can't hide out forever."

"But this…person isn't normal, Vitya. This is more than just some pissed off fan. It's obvious they are violent. What if you or Yuuri had been home when they showed up at your house?"

"I know," Victor said, pushing the thought from his mind. He was exhausted but too wired to sleep. "But now I can be prepared. I'm getting better locks put on, and I'm getting a security system as well. And the police know what's going on now."

Yakov sighed. "You never listen to me."

Victor stopped pacing. He hugged the older man. "Thank you for your help, Yakov. It means a lot to us."

"Yeah, yeah," Yakov said, patting his back awkwardly.

"I should check on Yuuri," Victor sighed, letting go of Yakov. Yakov seemed relieved. "I've barely said a word to him since this happened."

"Yes, go," Yakov told him. "Let me know if you need anything else."

Victor found Yuuri sitting with Yurio, drinking tea. Yurio must have said something to him because Yuuri looked a bit more grounded than when they had arrived. Yuuri looked around at him when he came in the room, and he smiled. It was rather forced, Victor could tell, but he was trying.

"What are you guys talking about?" Victor asked them, sitting down next to Yuuri.

"Yurio was just telling me he's going to beat up our stalker friend for us."

"Oh, how nice," Victor replied, and Yurio glared.

"Whatever," Yurio said, standing up. "I'm going to bed."

"Yurio!" Yuuri called after him. Yurio looked back before he left the room. "Thank you."

Yuri just shrugged at him and left the room. Victor and Yuuri sat there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"They made up a guest room for us," Victor said, breaking the silence. "We should try to sleep."

"Yeah, okay," Yuuri replied, drinking the last of his tea. "Sleep sounds good."

The room they were staying in was large, bigger than their room in their apartment. The bed was comfortable and warm. However, it still felt off. Victor wished they could be in their own bed, in their own apartment, the place that they had made home together.

"You okay?" he asked Yuuri as they snuggled into each other on the bed.

"I don't know," Yuuri said with a sigh. "I don't know what I feel like right now. I'm just glad I'm here with you."

"Yeah, me too," Victor said, closing his eyes. He was thankful that at the very least no one was hurt. "But at least the police know now, and hopefully they will find something to catch this person. Or maybe at least if this person knows the police are involved, maybe they will back off."

"Hopefully," Yuuri answered. "But Victor, if they don't…what do we do?"

Victor sighed. "I don't know, love. We just be safe. Don't go anywhere alone. Make sure the doors are locked. Hope for the best."

He knew his words didn't offer much comfort, but he wasn't quite sure what he could say. Perhaps he should send Yuuri back home to Hasetsu. This person obviously wasn't planning on giving up on trying to scare them. Perhaps if Yuuri went home, he could be safe, and it would look like they were no longer together. But Victor also hated the thought of being separated from Yuuri. What if they both went to Hasetsu for a while? Would this person follow them to Japan? Victor would think not, but he also wasn't sure. What if he sent Yuuri to Japan and the person followed Yuuri home?

He wished he could turn his thoughts off. Yuuri was breathing deeply, already fast asleep. Victor wished he could fall asleep as well, and take a break from real life if only for a few hours. But he was angry, and scared, and confused.

He picked up his phone. Would it make things worse if he contacted the person himself? Maybe if he told them that the police were involved now, the person would back off.

He scrolled through his blocked users and unblocked the last account he had gotten a message from.

 _Look, this has gone on long enough. I have called the police and they are investigating. I am done playing games with you. You've made my life a living hell. I hate you for what you've done. You've destroyed my home. What do you want from me? To tell you I'll come back? I can't go back to skating. I've been skating for over ten years. I can't skate forever. My body wouldn't allow it._

 _I've made my decisions. I'm staying as Yuuri's coach, and I'm staying with him as well. There's nothing that you could say or do to change that. So just give it up. Move on with your life like the rest of us have. If you don't, you'll most likely end up getting caught by the police._

Victor sent the message. He was exhausted. He put his phone down and closed his eyes, and was asleep within seconds.

 _.._

 _My hands shook as I read the message._

 _Victor had said he hated me. Me, the fan who had loved him longer than Yuuri Katsuki ever had._

 _I wasn't afraid of the police. I had nothing to lose. Ever since my parents died, the only thing I'd had was Victor. Watching him skate had given me purpose._

 _Without Victor, I had nothing._

 _He said he hated me._

 _He thought his life was a living hell now?_

 _…_

The next morning Victor and Yuuri returned to their apartment. The police hadn't been able to find anything that gave them a clue as to who had broken in. Victor had called to get new locks on the doors and had set an appointment for someone to install a security system. The apartment was a disaster.

"It's going to take forever to get this place back together," Victor sighed as they examined the damage throughout the apartment.

"At least it's something to focus on," Yuuri replied.

Victor turned to look at him. "Are you okay with coming back here? Yakov offered to let us stay with them. If you don't feel comfortable here, we don't have to stay here."

Yuuri looked around at their broken apartment, his heart sad. He loved this apartment and the life he had started building with Victor.

"I want to stay here," he told Victor. "This is our home. Plus, we know now to make it safer. I think we can stay here."

Victor smiled at him and wrapped his arms around him, kissing the top of his head. "I was hoping you'd say that. I love this place, too." Victor hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry that I dragged you into this. I never wanted this for you. Or for us."

Yuuri shook his head. "Don't apologize. There is no one to blame except the person who has done this."

Victor looked at him. Yuuri had never seen Victor look so vulnerable.

"I love you, Yuuri."

"I love you too."

…

Yakov and Yurio came over to help them clean up the apartment. There was a lot that would need to be replaced, but they were at least able to get everything cleaned up and looking halfway normal.

They were able to lay in their own bed that night. Victor had been working hard all day and fell asleep within minutes of lying down. Yuuri, however, had a lot on his mind. He had spent the whole day thinking. He wanted this all to stop. He wanted Victor to be happy. That's all that he could ever want. Nothing was going to get better with the way things were going. It was just a matter of time before something else happened.

Where could he go? He could go home to his parent's house. Or maybe he could go visit Phichit in Thailand. Nothing seemed right. He would have to go somewhere that no one knew where to find him. Otherwise Victor would follow him, and then leaving would be for nothing.

He hated the idea of leaving Victor. It hurt him more than he could put into words. But he had to do something. He had to help. It wouldn't have to be forever. Right? Just long enough to get this person uninterested.

He made his decision. He left a note for Victor on his side of the bed, gathered a few necessities, and slipped out into the night. Not before sending one other message, though.

 _Okay, you win. I did what you asked and I left Victor. Please, just leave us alone now._


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is a bit of a filler but things will start getting more exciting soon! I'm still working out the next few chapters. I keep going back and forth on what I want to do and hopefully I'll be able to decide soon xD**

 **...**

The night was dark and cold. Yuuri realized how alone he felt as he walked the dark streets of St. Petersburg. He didn't have much of a plan, but also hadn't had much time to make one. He knew he didn't want to go anywhere where Victor would easily find him. He knew Victor was going to be mad that he had left and ask him to come back. Victor would probably expect him to go back home to Hasetsu or at least to a friend's place. That's why Yuuri wanted to go somewhere new and random- somewhere nobody would expect.

Running away was something that he was used to. He had often run away in his life whenever things got too overwhelming and he didn't know what to do. But this was different. It wasn't just about him and his own feelings anymore. He was afraid for himself, yes. But he was also afraid of what could happen to those around him. If he stayed with Victor, and this person following them decided to try something, or try to hurt them, he wouldn't forgive himself. Especially if something happened to Victor. Or Yurio, or Yakov, or anyone else that Yuuri came into contact with.

He decided that he was going to take the next train down to Moscow. It was far enough away, but yet still close enough that home wasn't far. He was a little familiar with the city thanks to having spent time there during competitions. He could get a hotel, and wait until he came up with a better plan. It was the best plan that he could come up with for now. The most important thing was getting away before Victor woke up.

…

 _I watched Yuuri Katsuki as he walked the streets of St. Petersburg in the middle of the night. I kept a safe distance, unsure if this was some kind of set up or if he was really stupid enough to leave in the middle of the night._

 _It would be so easy to erase Yuuri Katsuki from the world. It's like he was delivering himself right into my hands. But I was also curious as to what he was planning. It seemed too easy that he had just decided to leave Victor, but I also didn't have much faith in Yuuri Katsuki._

 _I hated him. I hated everything about him. It was his fault that Victor had said he hated me._

 _I wanted to make him pay for what he had done to Victor, and to me._

…

Victor woke up in the middle of the night. He checked his phone to see what time it was. It was almost 3 AM. He sighed and rolled over.

Yuuri wasn't in bed.

There was a note on his pillow.

Victor sat up, his heart sinking. He snatched the letter off of Yuuri's pillow and turned on the light.

 _Dear Victor,_

 _I know you're going to be mad at me, and I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But I have to do what I feel is right. I want you to be safe. This isn't going to stop as long as we are together. I love you more than anything, please remember that. This isn't goodbye forever. I just want to give it enough time for this person to give up. I still want to be with you and I want to continue our lives together. I promise that I will come home as soon as I can._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Yuuri_

No. No. No. Victor jumped out of bed and yelled his name. How long ago had he left? Victor ran through the apartment, turning on lights and yelling Yuuri's name. He wasn't home. Victor burst out the front door, yelling Yuuri's name as loud as possible.

He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" Victor yelled, both angry at Yuuri for leaving and scared of what might happen to him. Think, where could Yuuri have gone?

"Yuri!" Victor yelled into the phone as soon as Yurio answered it.

"Victor?" He had obviously woken him up. "Do you know what time-?"

"Is Yuuri there? Have you gotten any messages from him?"

"What? No, I haven't seen him since we left your house. What's going on?"

"Just please tell me if you hear from him or he shows up," Victor said, and hung up the phone.

He called Hiroko next. He wasn't sure if Yuuri had told anyone back home about what had been going on. Victor highly doubted that he had. He knew Yuuri wouldn't want to worry his parents.

"Vicchan!" Yuri's mother sounded so happy when she answered the phone. "How nice to hear from you. Isn't it quite early still in Russia?"

"Hi Hiroko. Yes, it is. I was just wondering if you had gotten any calls or messages from Yuuri this morning?"

"Yuuri? No, I haven't heard from him in days. Why, is something wrong?"

Victor bit his lip. "He ran off in the middle of the night and didn't tell me where he was going."

Hiroko chuckled. "That sounds like my Yuuri, alright. He's always been that way, running off when he feels overwhelmed and needs to think. Don't worry, Victor. I'm sure he'll come back as soon as he clears his head."

Unless something awful happens to him, Victor thought, but he didn't say it. "I'm hoping you're right. He hasn't done this since he moved in. If you happen to hear from him, or Minako or Yuko or anyone does, can you please let me know?"

"Of course, dear." She sounded a little uncertain. "Make sure he calls me when you talk to him again. I miss him."

Victor was on the verge of tears. "I'll make sure he calls you, Hiroko. Thank you." He hung up the phone, unable to talk to her anymore. He tried calling Yuuri's phone, but his call went unanswered. Victor hadn't expected him to answer, but he had hoped.

Yurio had called him several times. Victor sighed and called him back.

"What the hell?" Yurio yelled as soon as he answered. "What's going on?"

"Yuuri left," Victor told him, feeling unsure of what to do. "He's gone and I have no idea where he went."

The tears were finally coming. Yurio cursed into the phone. "I'm coming over."

…

Yuuri walked quickly. The train station was finally getting close. He knew that trains did not run as often at night and he hoped that he wouldn't be stuck there until morning. He doubted that Victor would sleep through the whole night; more likely than not he would figure out Yuuri was gone before the sun came up.

Yuuri felt like he was being watched. He wasn't sure if he was being paranoid or if someone was actually following him. He just wanted to reach the train station.

Relief washed over him when he walked through the doors of the station. He had made it. He was also lucky enough that there was one more train before morning and he had made it in time to catch it. It was a longer ride, but Yuuri didn't care. His plan was working.

…

 _I followed Yuuri to the train station. So apparently he was headed to Moscow. This was perfect. I just had to follow him there, to the unfamiliar city where he knew no one and no one would be there to help him._

 _…_

Yuuri was exhausted once he boarded the train. It was nearly 3 AM and he hadn't slept since the night before. He checked his phone. As if on cue, Victor's number popped up, calling him. Yuuri ignored it. So Victor had realized he was gone. Yuuri would contact him once he was far enough away from St Petersburg that Victor wouldn't be able to stop him. Until then, he closed his eyes, hoping that he had made the right decision.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I finished writing the last chapter for this last night! There will be 2 more chapters after this once, unless I decide to split the last chapter into 2 (it's a little long.)**

 **Thank you SO much for all the kind words in your reviews! It makes my day to see people enjoying this story. I was nervous going into it because I hadn't seen any stories with a simila** **r plot line and I wasn't sure how people would take it. It's been so much fun to write and plan out. I hope you enjoy the last few chapters! -Kate**

...

Victor opened the door to find Yurio standing there. "Have you heard anything?" he asked Yurio before even letting him inside.

"No, and I take it you haven't?" Victor shook his head and let Yurio come in. "I called his family, his friends. I called the police but there's nothing they can do, since Yuuri's an adult and he left by his own choice."

"Why would he do this?" Yurio was as angry as Victor. "Is he stupid?"

Victor sighed and sat down. "Yes, and no. He knew full well what he was doing and what it would do to me. But he believes he's doing the right thing."

"He's stupid," Yuri shook his head. "Thinking he can solve everything himself and put himself at risk."

"I wish I could figure out where to look, or what to do." Victor rubbed his temples, a headache coming on. "He won't answer my calls or messages and hasn't tried to reach out to me at all. I want to believe he's okay and he's just ignoring me, but I can't help but think…"

"Don't even go there," Yurio said firmly. "Don't worry about that until you need to. How long do you think he's been gone?"

Victor looked at the time. It was 3:24 AM. "I don't know. We went to sleep around eleven. I woke up at like quarter to three and he was gone. I never even heard him leave."

"So it's been like 4 hours at most," Yurio said. "Isn't there anywhere that you can think of that he might go?"

"I don't know!" Victor said angrily. "I'm trying, but…"

He got quiet, his mind suddenly awake. He had no idea where Yuuri might have gone, but he may have a way to find out.

"What?" Yurio asked.

"I have an idea." Victor pulled out his laptop. "If Yuuri went anywhere and is hiding out, there's a chance we would have had to use money, right?"

"Okay…" Yurio said slowly.

Victor easily logged into Yuuri's bank account. "Luckily he is predictable as can be and always uses the same password for everything. I can check and see if he's used his card anywhere."

Yurio looked impressed. "I wouldn't have even thought of that."

"YES!" Victor jumped up. "He used his card to buy a train ticket at Moscow Station at 1:19 this morning! He's going to Moscow!"

"Why would he go there?" Yurio asked, looking confused.

"Probably because he didn't think we'd go looking for him there." Victor felt relieved. He was going to follow Yuuri to Moscow and make sure that they both made it home safely.

"I have to go," Victor said, jumping up. "Another train leaves at 5 and I should be able catch up with him."

"I'll go too!" Yurio said, but Victor knew that wasn't going to happen.

"No, you have to stay here. Hopefully nothing will happen, but I can't take the chance that this person who's been watching us isn't also on a train to Moscow right now. I can't risk something happening to you."

"But you'll be safer if I come with!" Yurio's anger was sliding away, and he looked scared. "Plus I know Moscow well, I grew up there!"

"Yurio please." Victor pulled him into a hug. "I appreciate you wanting to help. But I can't be worrying about you on top of everything else. I'd rather know that you are safe at home." He pulled away. "I promise I'll be careful, and I'll bring Yuuri home, and everything will work out."

Yurio looked away from him. "Just…don't do anything stupid. And let me know what's going on."

Victor nodded. "I will. I have to get to the station and make sure I get on the next train. Don't stay here, go back to Lilia's. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything."

…

Yuuri dozed on the train, his exhaustion getting the best of him. Before he knew it the train was pulling into Moscow. It was already 8 am. The commute was usually quicker, but the late night departure meant for a longer ride, and Yuuri was thankful that he was at least able to get a few hours of sleep. He checked his phone and realized it was nearly dead; he hadn't remembered to bring his charger, either. He had several messages on his phone from Victor, Yurio and even his mother. Did Victor really get a hold of everyone? He sighed at the thought of having to explain himself to everyone.

Once off the train and out of the station, Yuuri went for the closest hotel that looked comfortable. He was still tired despite getting sleep. He was able to get a room without a problem, and made his way up through the hotel without stopping for anything else. Once inside his room, Yuuri fell over on the bed and sighed. He had made it to Moscow. The room was comfortable enough and cheap enough that he could spend a few days there without worrying.

He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do. All he had wanted was to get away, and now that he was away, he didn't know what he was supposed to do or think. He hoped that Victor wouldn't be too mad at him. He had to understand that Yuuri only wanted to keep everyone safe. He would have never been able to forgive himself if someone had gotten hurt. He knew that he hadn't done anything wrong and that he wouldn't be at fault no matter what happened. But he still felt the need to at least try and help the situation, even if it meant he had to leave his home and the person he loved behind.

He lay there for a little while, dozing on the comfortable bed. However, he was awoken after some time by someone knocking on the door.

….

Victor was tired but too afraid to sleep. The ride was going by quickly and they would be in Moscow in less than an hour. He still hadn't heard anything from Yuuri. Victor was doing his best to try and stay calm. He had to have a clear head and not get distracted by his thoughts. But he could not stop thinking of all the terrible things that might happen. It was hard enough to deal with everything going on the past few days. But at least he had Yuuri there with him, safe in his arms. He felt empty without Yuuri. Not only that, he had no way of knowing if Yuuri was safe. It was obvious that the person doing these things was blaming everything on Yuuri. He wasn't afraid for himself. He was afraid of what might happen to the man that he loved. He couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to him.

A notification went off on his phone. His heart leaped, hoping that Yuuri had finally gotten back to him, or at least maybe it was someone who knew where Yuuri was.

It wasn't from Yuuri. It was from VICTORSNUMB3R1FAN24.

 _Do you see what I see?_

They had sent a picture. It wasn't of the best quality, but Victor still was able to see exactly what the person wanted them to see.

It was Yuuri. He wasn't turned fully towards the camera and the lighting was bad but Victor could tell it was him.

His heart raced and his throat tightened. They had followed Yuuri to Moscow.

He tried calling Yuuri but no answer. The bank statement! Victor logged on to Yuuri's account again and looked to see if there was anything new that would tell him where Yuuri was.

He had checked into a hotel just minutes ago.

….

 _I had waited patiently, closely following Yuuri Katsuki 400 miles across the country. I had to do something. I had to make Yuuri Katsuki pay for what he had done._

 _I wasn't afraid of what would happen. I was excited. It was thrilling._

 _I knocked on the door to Yuuri Katsuki's hotel room, and I was ready._


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: the final two chapters yay! I've had a lot of fun writing this and I'm honestly going to miss it! (I already do miss it since I finished a couple days ago XD) Just a warning there is some violence in this chapter, so if you are sensitive to that (which I doubt it if you are still reading at this point but still) then don't read this chapter XD**

...

Yuuri had no idea why someone would be knocking at the door. Whoever it was said something in Russian, so Yuuri assumed that maybe it was housekeeping. He got off the bed and went to open the door, fully expecting to just tell whoever it was he didn't need them and to then lay back down in bed for a while. He opened the door. He didn't even have time to register who was standing in front of him; something hit him in the head and he fell backwards onto the floor.

…

Every second felt like it was taking an hour. Every second was another second that Yuuri was alone and this person, whoever they were, was right behind him. Perhaps they had even caught up to Yuuri by now. Why wasn't he answering his phone? Victor felt like he was losing his mind.

When the train finally pulled into the station Victor was running, pushing people out of his way and not even caring. The morning was cloudy and dark, but luckily Yuuri's hotel was in sight as soon as he got out of the station. Victor ran as quickly as he could. He was just about the enter the hotel when he stopped. Hey had no idea which room was Yuuri's. He cursed angrily and tried calling Yuuri again. No luck. He had to think quickly on his feet. There was still a chance that Yuuri was safe. He had to calm down and pull himself together.

He was going to have to lie his ass off in order to find Yuuri's room.

"Hello," he said to a young girl working the front desk. She turned red as he smiled at her.

"H-hello," she said. "How may I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could help me out." He leaned over the counter. "I just checked in this morning and I wasn't very awake. I left my room to get some coffee and realized after I left that I forgot my wallet in my room. What's worse is that my room key was in my wallet as well."

"Oh no," the girl said sympathetically.

"I know it's a lot to ask but could you help me out?" he asked her. "My name is Yuuri Katsuki. And the room number was…was…" There was no way this was going to work.

"304!" the girl replied, looking at her computer. "Now please be more careful with this key, Mr. Katsuki."

He was so happy he could have kissed her. "Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!" He probably sounded way happier than he actually should but he didn't care. He had gone from feeling completely hopeless when he found out Yuuri was gone to finding out exactly where he was 400 miles away from home.

He just hoped that his luck continued and that Yuuri was okay.

….

Yuuri heard his door close. His vision swam and he felt something warm trickling down his face. _This is bad,_ he thought, closing his eyes tightly and hoping the ground underneath him would become steady.

"Yuuri Katsuki, we meet at last."

A voice. It was a woman's voice, but not a voice that was familiar to him. He opened his eyes and tried to look at whoever was in his room. It was a beautiful girl, with long dark hair. Though she was beautiful, something was off with her. The look on her face was not friendly nor welcoming.

"Wh-who are you?" he asked her, trying to sit up, but she pushed him back down with her foot.

"You know exactly who I am." She sneered at him. Her boot stayed firmly on his chest. "We've sent a couple messages back and forth, don't you remember?"

Yuuri tried to wrap his brain around what was happening. This was the one who had been sending messages, and trashing their apartment?

The woman dropped something that was in her hand- a rock? Was that what she had hit him with? The woman reached down into her boot and pulled out a knife. Yuuri's heart sank. He had to do something. He couldn't just lie there and let this woman kill him.

"I followed you all the way from St. Petersburg. You never even noticed me. Do you ever notice the people around you, Yuuri Katsuki? Or are you always too wrapped up in yourself to care?"

His head was still swimming. He tried to push himself up again, but it only made her angry. She kicked his side and he fell back down, his side now burning in pain. He wasn't getting anywhere. He was pathetic.

"No!" she yelled at him, and kicked him again. "You're not going anywhere! I didn't come all this way just to let you walk out the door! Do you think I'm stupid? _WHY_ do you keep underestimating me?"

"Why are you so angry at me?" Yuuri asked her through gritted teeth. "I don't even know who you are! I've never met you in my life!"

"Because Victor was everything to me!" she screamed, knocking over a lamp that was on a stand next to her, causing it to crash on the floor. "He was all I had! He was the reason I was able to keep going! I was all alone, and watching him all these years gave me a reason to live again!"

"Victor was the one who decided to retire, I never asked that of him!" Yuuri told her. His head was swimming worse now but he was determined to stay awake. "I loved Victor's skating as well, that's the reason I decided to pursue professional skating!"

"YOU STOLE HIM!" she screamed, kicking him again. "Everything was fine until you asked him to be your coach!"

Just then the door opened. Both Yuuri and the girl turned to see Victor standing there. There were a couple seconds where everyone just stared in shock. How was Victor here? Had he followed Yuuri the whole way as well? The girls face contorted from shock to rage.

And then she screamed again and lunged at Victor. Yuuri, thinking quickly, grabbed hold of her ankle, causing her to lose her balance and fall.

…

Victor could hardly take in the scene in front of him- Yuuri on the ground, a woman standing over him, a knife gleaming in her hand- when the woman suddenly screamed and ran straight at Victor. She didn't get far, though, for she tumbled to the ground right before she reached him- he barely registered the knife slice his arm as she fell.

"GET OFF OF ME!" she screamed, and Victor, suddenly back to his senses, grabbed the knife out of her hand just as she got up. He pointed it at her, his hands trembling. He could only hope that the noise she had caused had alerted someone nearby.

"Who are you?" Victor asked her as she glared at him.

"Why are you here?" she hissed at him. "This isn't how things were supposed to go!"

"Well I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't appreciate you pulling a knife out on my fiancé." Was this the woman who had been doing everything? Victor tried to remember if he knew her. She looked familiar but he couldn't place her. He tried to steal glances at Yuuri to see if he was alright, but he couldn't tell.

"What are you going to do, Victor, stab me?" She laughed. "You wouldn't hurt a fly." She moved closer to Yuuri, who was still on the floor. Victor, sensing she was going to try something, quickly moved in front of Yuuri, holding the knife inches from her face. She laughed at him again.

"You were my everything, you know that?" She stepped backwards and sat down on the bed. "I loved you since I was a child, Victor. I looked up to you. I believed in you. I went to your competitions all over the world and cheered for you. One time you threw me a flower, and I caught it. I still have it to this day, you know. I treasured it."

A memory swam through him, of throwing a beautiful dark haired girl a flower after she called his name following a performance.

"I remember you," he said quietly. "If all this is true, why are you doing this? Why are you trying to hurt me?"

"I didn't want to hurt you, Victor!" She stood up, looking earnest. "I really didn't. But you made me so mad when you said you hated me. After everything I had done for you? And then you come here and ruin my plan. That's not what I wanted, Victor. I never wanted to hurt you. But you may not give me a choice, now."

She was reaching in her jacket. _Oh shit,_ Victor thought, his heart racing. She must still be armed.

"What's going on in here?"

The door opened again, and a security guard was there. Apparently the door had never latched when Victor came in, the guard was able to push it open. The woman froze, her hand still in her jacket.

"She's armed!" Victor yelled. The guard pulled out a gun and pointed it, yelling "Drop your weapons!" Victor sat the knife down on the ground carefully. The woman didn't move.

"I said drop it!"

She was obviously trying to think quick on her feet. But she must have given up. She dropped a handgun from inside her jacket and it fell to the floor. She looked at Victor, and Victor would never forget the look in her eyes. It was a hatred that he didn't know existed.

Another guard showed up in the doorway. Victor could hear police sirens in the distance. He finally realized that his arm was bleeding from where the knife had cut him, but he didn't care.

"Are you okay?" he asked Yuuri quietly. He hadn't even really been able to get a good look at Yuuri since he arrived. His head was bleeding and his face was pale. But he managed to give Victor a half smile.

"I will be."

 **Additional A/N: I actually went back and forth quite a bit as far as who I wanted the stalker to be. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to use a real character or my own. I decided to go with my own in the end because it felt wrong to turn any YOI character into a monster xD**

 **Thanks for reading! I'll post the final chapter tomorrow! -Kate**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: The last chapter is here and I am sad to finish this! It was a lot of fun to write! Thank you so much for all your support! I'm not sure what I'll be working on next, as I'm still hung up on this story XD I hope you enjoy the last chapter! ^_^**

 **-Kate**

 **...**

The police and an ambulance showed up to the hotel. The police took the dark haired woman away, her face still full of hatred. Victor demanded that he be able to go with Yuuri, despite the paramedics telling him they wanted to check him out as well. Eventually they agreed. Victor's head was spinning from everything that had happened in the past few hours. It didn't even seem real. Everything had happened so quickly that Victor hadn't even felt the full weight of what he had just gone through.

He tried to focus on Yuuri, talking to him as the paramedics told him to do. Yuuri was in a lot of pain; Victor could tell by the way he was squeezing Victor's hand. "I'm sorry Victor," Yuuri told him, tears in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry I left. I didn't think- I didn't realize-"

"Shh, love, it okay," Victor told him, kissing his hand. "Don't worry about that now."

"H-how did you find me?" Yuuri asked.

Victor just smiled at him. "I have my ways."

…

When they reached the hospital they made Victor go get checked out as well, forcing him to leave Yuuri's side. Yuuri felt frightened without Victor there. He could hardly believe that he was even alive. He truly believed that the woman was going to kill him, that he was going to die alone in a foreign hotel room where no one knew he would be.

But Victor knew.

Yuuri owed his life to Victor Nikiforov. As if Victor hadn't already saved him in countless other ways.

The hospital was bright and unfamiliar. His head was still swimming, though it was a bit better. The pain in his chest was the worst from where she had kicked him. Even breathing caused him pain. The doctors ran some tests and asked him questions. After they were done they told Yuuri that he would have to get some further tests. They gave him pain medication, and before he knew it he was asleep.

…

Victor ended up having to get a few stitches in his arm, but he was otherwise alright. After he was stitched up and bandaged, he was led to police who were waiting to question him. Victor told them everything he knew; what had happened back in St Petersburg, the messages, the break in, Yuuri leaving in the middle of the night, and the way Victor had tracked him down. After what felt like a million questions, the police finally let him go, and he was able to go see Yuuri at last.

Yuuri was asleep in his bed when Victor finally found his room. Victor sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Yuuri's hand in his, kissing his knuckles. Yuuri groaned and turned his head, opening his eyes. He smiled when he realized it was Victor there with him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Victor replied. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Yuuri replied tiredly. "The doctor said I had a concussion and a couple of broken ribs. They want to hold me over night, but I can go home tomorrow. Are you okay? How's your arm?"

"It's fine," Victor said, pulling up his sleeve to show him the bandage. "Just a couple stitches is all."

"That's good." Yuuri closed his eyes. "I'm thankful that it wasn't worse."

"You and me both," Victor replied, leaning over to stoke Yuuri's hair. "I'm lucky I got there when I did."

"I'm so sorry Victor." Yuuri's eyes filled with tears again. "If I had realized that she was going to follow me like that…I thought I was keeping you safe by leaving. She could have killed you-"

"Shh, love, stop," Victor said firmly. "It's over. The police have her in custody. She didn't kill me. Everything's going to be okay now. So don't worry about what might have happened. I promise you I'm not mad." He thought about it. "Okay, I was a little mad. But I'm over it. Just…just don't ever leave me again, okay?"

Yuuri smiled at him, wiping his tears. "I won't. I promise."

"Good," Victor said, leaning over and kissing him gently on the lips. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and sighed. Yuri had been blowing up his phone. "Oh Yurio," he sighed, and typed a simple message. _I found Yuuri. The woman who had been stalking us was caught. Long story, I promise I'll explain in a bit. We're going to be okay._ "You're going to have to call your mother, too. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Yuuri chuckled, making him wince. "I should have called her anyway."

Victor could help but just stare at Yuuri, thankful that he had gotten there before anything worse had happened. He wished he had gotten there just a few minutes sooner to save him from this pain he was feeling. But at least he was going to be okay. They could go home, and they wouldn't have to worry that someone was watching them anymore. They hadn't even been living in this nightmare for long, but it felt as though it had lasted years.

"You look tired," Yuuri said, putting his hand on Victor's face. "You should try to get some sleep. I'll be okay if you want to go get a hotel-" Yuuri stopped, and then laughed. "I mean, I don't really know if I'd want to be in a hotel room right now, but-"

"Don't worry, love. I'm fine." Victor lay his head down on Yuuri's bed. "I just want to be here with you."

…

Victor called Yurio later that evening when Yuuri was asleep and told him what had happened. He assured the younger skater that they were alright and he needn't come up to Moscow that night. They instead arranged for Yakov and Yurio to meet up with them in the morning after Yuuri was discharged so they could drive them home.

The police came in and spoke with Yuuri as well. Victor listened to his story, curious as to what had happened while they were apart. He hated picturing what Yuuri had gone though in those few moments he had been alone with that woman before he arrived. The police let them know they had enough evidence to hold the woman, Alina, so they didn't have to worry about her coming after them again. Both Victor and Yuuri were relieved at the words. But they knew that it would take a while to feel completely safe again.

Yakov came to pick them up in the morning, Yurio following right behind him. Yurio was evidently happy to see them both, for he hugged Victor, and then almost hugged Yuuri as well, but caught himself, remembering Yuuri was injured. Looking embarrassed, he held out his hand, and Yuuri gladly shook it. Yakov did the same.

"I don't condone either of you running off like this," he told them, looking strict. "But I'm glad you are alright, and the person was caught."

"I'm sorry," Yuuri said, looking at his feet. "I never meant for this to happen."

"Don't apologize boy, it's over," Yakov barked. "If anyone should apologize, it's the person who did this to you."

"She's lucky I wasn't there!" Yurio said heatedly, and Victor couldn't help but smile.

"Let's just go home, guys," he said, ready to leave Moscow and not look back.

…

The ride back to St Petersburg was long. Yuuri and Victor sat in the backseat together, their hands intertwined. Yuuri dozed for most of the trip; the pain medication the doctors had given him made him tired. But Victor stayed awake. He was exhausted. He spent the night in the hospital with Yuuri and had managed to sleep a little in the chair next to Yuuri's bed. But he felt like he could sleep for a day straight. The stress of everything they had gone through, those hours of fear where he didn't know where Yuuri was, and then everything that had happened once he reached Moscow- it was a lot to take in. He tried to remind himself that they were safe, that Yuuri was hurt but would be okay, and that the person responsible was caught.

When they finally got home to St Petersburg, Yakov insisted on Victor and Yuuri staying the night with them at Lilia's, to make sure that they were alright. Victor protested, by eventually gave in when Yurio ganged up on him too. He was honestly thankful for the invitation. Although he missed their apartment, it did feel better to have Yakov and Yurio there with them as well.

Yakov helped Victor get Yuuri into bed. Yuuri was still unsteady on his feet and couldn't walk very far alone. Once he was comfortable in bed, Victor went to the kitchen to get him some ice to help his ribs. Yakov followed behind him.

"Vitya, hold on a minute." Yakov walked in front of him, forcing him to stop. "Are you alright? You've barely said a word."

Victor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yes, and no. I'm just a little overwhelmed by everything right now. I'm happy the person was caught, I'm worried about Yuuri, I'm freaked out by every off sound I hear. I think I just need some time to process everything."

Yakov studied him. "Okay. I'm sure you are correct. Just remember to take care of yourself as well. You should try to get some sleep."

Victor nodded. "I will. I'm just going to get Yuuri his ice pack and then I'm going to try to sleep."

"I'll get the ice," Yakov told him. "Just go be with Yuuri."

Victor grinned appreciatively at him. "Thank you, Yakov."

…

Yuuri noticed Yurio peaking in around the door. "You can come in, if you want," Yuuri called to him. Yuri hesitated a second, and then inched his way into the room.

"I just wanted you to know that what you did was incredibly stupid," Yurio said, crossing his arms.

"I know," Yuuri replied.

"And then I had to sit here all day and freak out because I had no idea what was happening, because Victor wouldn't let me go, and-"

"I know, Yurio," Yuuri sighed. "I'm sorry that I upset you. I just did what I thought was best. Obviously I was wrong, but I had to try."

Yuri uncrossed his arms. "Just don't be stupid like that again. Especially for Victor's sake. He was a mess without you."

Just then Victor returned to the room. Yuuri smiled at him, and he returned it. Yurio said he had something to do and left without another word, making Yuuri chuckle. He looked at Victor, who had bags under his eyes. Yuuri knew that Victor was exhausted, and he couldn't rid himself of the guilt he felt for what he had put Victor through. He was determined to make it up to him, though. He wasn't going to run away anymore.

"How are you feeling?" Victor asked as he sat on the bed.

"I'm okay," Yuuri told him. "How are you?"

Victor chuckled. "I'm tired."

Yuuri patted the bed next to him. "There's plenty of room."

Victor's grin widened, and he finally looked a little bit more like himself. "Remember when I had to beg you to let me sleep with you?"

"Well you are a lot to take in at first, Victor," Yuuri said.

Yakov returned, holding an icepack wrapped in a towel. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything," he told them. They both thanked him, and he left the room again. Yuuri took the icepack and placed it on his ribs. They hurt like hell, but at least it was a little relief.

Victor climbed into bed with him. Yuuri wanted nothing more than to snuggle into Victor but he knew that he couldn't. Victor apparently could sense what he wanted and scooted in close to him, their face inches apart.

"I love you, Yuuri," he whispered, softly stroking his hair.

Yuuri felt the desired warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with his injuries. "I love you, Victor."

"We're going to be okay," Victor told him. "We're going to get through this together. If you need anything, anything at all. Just tell me, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, "but the same goes for you, okay?"

Victor smiled. "Of course." He leaned in and kissed him.

….

The word got out of what had happened, and before they knew it the story of the crazed fan almost killing Victor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki was on the headline of every news station and paper. Support flooded them from around the world, from their fans, friends, family, and competitors. Both Yuuri and Victor wished that the story would just go away so they wouldn't have to think about it, but unfortunately it wasn't that easy.

It would take weeks, months even, for them to feel normal again. There was always a fear of what might happen. Nightmares happened during the night. There was a fear every time they heard a notification go off on a phone. But it got easier as time went on.

They still had each other. Whatever they would have to face they would make sure to face it together. After all, they were stronger together than they ever had been apart.

-The end-


	10. AUTHORS NOTE

**A/N: Hey guys! This isn't another chapter but just a quick note/update for you!**

 **First: THANK YOU. To everyone who had read, followed, favorite and reviewed, you guys are the best! It made me so happy to read your reviews and know that people were enjoying the story. Thank you all so much!**

 **Second: I am working on a sequel! I've already written the first chapter and just need to edit it. Of course if you are happy with the original ending you need not read it. But I really wanted to go into Victor and Yuuri's lives after going through such an ordeal and how they try to pick the pieces back up. I haven't planned the whole thing out yet, but I usually don't to be quite honest haha, so I'm not sure if it will be long or short or what it will entail, but if you are interested then keep an eye out!**

 **Thank you again for your support guys!**

 **-Kate**


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